Q1: Differentiate between any two cultures, Asian, African or Middle Eastern using 2 Cross Cultural benchmarks.

India (Asian) Collectivism: Institutional & intragroup Future orientation Gender egalitarianism Humane orientation Power distance Egypt (African)

Question 2: How do Cultural Values drive the style of Management? State 3 values briefly.

Culture Value 1: Time Focus Monochronic: People tend to do one activity at a time and dislike having to move away from a schedule. They are more focused on information than people. Polychromic people tend to focus on several tasks less dependent on detailed information. Schedules, if kept, are much more approximate. People take priority over schedules. Example USA vs. Egypt Monochronic Polychronic Plann Focus on task Focus on relation in Orga Structure, linear and Less structured, more niz task-focused holistic and ppl-focused approach Staff Concerns focused on Focus on the longer shorter-term, meeting term, concern for immediate needs building relations over and requirements time Direc Emphasis on making Emphasis on flexibility, t & following plans, reacting acc. To managing the inflow circumstances. Priority to & distribution of info ppl over plans, relying more on sharing implicit knowledge and info Contr Use control systems Use more flexible control ol that depend on systems involving people detailed info and as well as info. involve strict deadlines

Culture Value No. 2 Time orientation Plan Past orientation China, Emphasis on continuing traditions & building in long term time frames of the plan is for the change process decisions made in the context of the customs of the society. Past goals and precedents guide the process of organizing Management are slower in adapting the criteria by which they slect and train employees Tendency to develop vision & mission statements that emphasize the continuation of the companys values & reputation Tendency to develop performance objectives in keeping with customary goals Future orientation USA Emphasis on longer-term plans and long-term results Work and resources divided & coordinated to meet longer-range goals and projections for the future Management select and train employees to meet long-term business goals Tendency to develop vision and statements which focus on achieving long-term benefits Tendency to develop performance objectives in the context of longterm goals

Orga niz

Staffi ng

Direc ti

Contr ol

Culture Value #3 - Power value orientation: The extent to which a society expect or accept that power is distributed unequally. In some cultures, inequality is a given and no attempt is made to make any compensations on a socio-economic level for intellectual or physical inequalities. In other cultures, inequality is regarded as undesirable, necessitating some form of correction through legal, political and economic means.

Culture Value #3 - Power value orientation: The extent to which a society expect or accept that power is distributed unequally. Hierarchy Japan More autocratic Mangers take decision Without consultations Organizational structure is tightly controlled Subordinates expect bosses to take initiatives Employees like being closely supervised Equality More participative Netherlands Organizational structure encourages individual autonomy Subordinates develop performance objectives with their bosses Managers exhibit consultative style

At work, the level of power and authority are strictly marked out by cultures oriented to hierarchy. There, the employees do their work according to the directives of their boss. In their eyes, the role of the manager is to allocate tasks and to take decisions. During negotiations, title, status and formal position have less influence in cultures oriented towards equality. There, the hierarchy exists essentially to facilitate the relations between the people in an organization. Managers see their role as more participative than directive. They are more likely to consult employees before taking decisions. Eg. Colombian and South Korean pilots flying planes that were doomed due to the inability of their co-pilots to warn them due to cultural hierarchy issues

Hierarchy More autocratic Organizational structure is tightly controlled Subordinates expect bosses to take initiatives Employees like being closely supervised, i.e.: Japan Equality More participative Organizational structure encourages individual autonomy Subordinates develop performance objectives with their bosses Managers exhibit consultative style, i.e.: Netherlands Culture Value #4: Communication: High vs Low Context High-context: Information is hidden or implicit in the text eg Arab Manager who meets everybody and does not respect agenda Low-context: The messages are clear and explicit. US Manager who has assistants and supervisors controlling the flow of information and has a pre-set appointment schedule

Culture Value #5: Structure: Individualism vs Collectivism Structure refers in business to an organizational structure. Value orientation concerns the relation between individual and a group. Individualism: I predominates over the We, Eg: USA, UK, Canada Collectivism: interests of the group prevails over individuals, Eg: China

Individualism shows the extent to which cultures elevate the role of the individual over the role of the group. When individualism is valued, the 'I' predominates over the 'We', Individual goals, initiative and achievement are most important and people are encouraged to be independent and self-reliant. There is less need to conform to a group and less distinction made between in-groups and out-groups. Individuals frequently acquire and change their friends and do not hesitate to establish preferred relationships among family relatives. Collectivism shows the extent to which the interests of the group prevail over individual interests. Each person in a collectivist society is encouraged to conform, to do what is best for the group and to avoid expressing opinions or beliefs that go against it. Reluctance to co-operate within the group or eagerness to stand out is frowned upon. Relationships are more constant both within and outside the family. Eg. Japanese children learning in school collectively.

Culture Value #6 - Action: Private vs Public Private Forms of planning: individualistic Task-centred. Explicit information about how staff are to be employed Managers and employees do not share the same office Explicit measures of performance. Public Group-oriented Relationship-centred Implicit information Size of the place where an employee works does not reflect the persons rank Informal checks on performance.

Culture Value #7 - Action: Doing vs Being Doing cultures USA Developing time-framed action steps. Action-oriented documentation Ability to fulfill organizational tasks. Expertise and competence Being cultures, Egypt Strong focus on the vision Based on common vision and personal trust. Career development based on personal or social criteria. Personal philosophy, values and style Culture Value 8: Competition: Competitiveness Vs Cooperative: Competitive Eg. 2 car dealers cooperating together Managers have more of a leadership role. Selection of employees on ability to act independently. The leaders role is to track and reward achievement. Preferred control systems are performance-based Co-operative Managers have more of a facilitating role. Employees elected on ability to work well in groups. The leaders role is to facilitate relationships. Task performance is recognized as a standard for success

Q 3 What are the forms of Corporate Structures Geographic, Functional, Product, Matrix Recent forms of Organizational Structure Network Structure, E.g. Coffee Beans A network of company units which has a horizontal system of communication Responsibility is dispersed to local subsidiaries Facilitates cross-cultural transfer of knowledge and organizational learning Facilitates organizational learning. Transnational Structure, GM & Ford Multi-faceted organization which can respond to international, multinational and global environment Dispersed, interdependent, and specialized National units make differentiated contributions to integrated worldwide operations Knowledge is developed jointly and shared worldwide.

Q 4, compare and contrast between X and Y theories of leadership? The X and Y Theory of McGregor

They give a contrast between the and. The message accompanying this theory is that managers should take a more positive approach towards employees, delegate authority, making jobs more challenging, providing rewards for superior performance and treating workers with respect.
Theory X Represents a task-oriented view. It is based on a pessimistic assumption that people dislike work and will do a lot to avoid it. They lack ambition, avoid responsibility, and seek security in the workplace, lack imagination, creativity and initiative. Theory X manager is result driven, demands rather than asks, has little interest in human issues, and shows little concern for the morale of the workforce. He does not listen to suggestions for improvement, sees criticism as threatening, holds responsibility but is the first to hold subordinates accountable for failure. Eg. the time clock. You have to clock in partly because the management thinks you'll arrive late and leave early if you don't Theory Y Represent a human-oriented view. based on an optimistic approach and assumes that people actually like working under suitable conditions; they are selfstarters, willing to accept responsibility, are creative and imaginative. The Y manager believes people want to learn to accept and to seek responsibility. He wants employees to participate in decision making and problem solving. Eg. An example is an artist on contract to produce art. You tell the artist what you want done but you leave it to him/her when and how to do it as long as they produce what you want within your timeline. She can paint at 2AM for all you care - as long as you get art by the deadline.

Q5 What are the problems with crossborder market research?

Language barriers: Translation even interculturally (Mandarin to Tamil to Malay Languages). Sensitivity of questioning Greeks dont mind revealing information about their income, but not British. Research techniques: Explicit/Individualistic/US based. Sentiments/ability to express varies culturally Some in Europe/Asia reluctant to talk. Cultural differences: contextual differences need to be catered for when analysing research data Suspicion of how data will be used? Who? Statistical comparisons cross country comparisons are difficult due to differing contexts and practices.
Cultural diversity can refer to the collection of groups who form the organization, differentiated in terms of gender, mother tongue, education, position and salary. Diversity Blindness: No Provision is made within the organization for addressing the problems and/or opportunities relating to diversity. Diversity Hostility: The Organization attempts to homogenize its employees and actively suppresses expressions of diversity. Diversity Naivet: The Organization views diversity positively and encourages diversity awareness, but may be unable to cope with any problems which diversity may cause. Diversity Integration: Organization addresses diversity in a pragmatic way. It helps its employees to develop skills in diversity management and creates the preconditions needed for effective communication between the different

groups in the workforce.

Three types of Communication Barriers? Written No instant feedback No opportunity to check for understanding Doesnt involve questioning and paraphrasing Slower closure on open items Usually unstructured Decreases speed of communication Verbal No record for future reference No structure No Tools to gain attention(bullets, bold, etc) Disability to provide details More informal Doesnt consist of (diagrams, pictures, graphs..) Non Comprehensive and Accurate Non-verbal Physical Aesthetic, Signs, Symbolic Facial Expressions Complements Verbal Communication may accent or underline a verbal message. Eg. Pounding the table to underline a message. Gestures talk more than words Could be Positive / Negative Indicative of a persons personality Meta Communication Q 8 Discuss how conflict is viewed from one culture to another. A conflict appears when people with differing needs or goals are prevented or perceive that they are being prevented by others in achieving these needs or goals. Attitudes towards conflicts can vary considerably from culture to culture, as can the ways in which conflicts are addressed. These differences relate to: The degree to which disagreement is acceptable and therefore the extent to which conflict is tolerated. The strategies to be adopted when dealing with conflicts. The moment when the manager needs to intervene and the way he or she intervenes. For Example in Thailand, the land of smiles or or South Korea, conflict is rarely regarded as either positive or negative: if a conflict arises, a third party (traditionally a respected elder) is called upon to mediate.

What is meant by Third Culture? It is a framework designed between individuals from different cultures, to ensure enduring adaptation and survival: shared value systems and increasing interdependence. In such framework, individuals from different cultures are integrated in a new hybrid culture which each of them can accept as a new part of her/his cultural identity.

Q 9: Discuss the different approaches to Cross Cultural Communication There are two types of approaches to cross cultural communications: descriptive and prescriptive. Descriptive theories represent things as they are with no deep logic. Therefore descriptive theories should be avoided at all costs. Prescriptive differences on the other hand rely on deep logic. For example, If someone travels to Iran and see children with head or body injuries, s/he might think of child abuse or barbaric behavior, thus relying on their descriptive analysis, not knowing that such injuries are part of a habitual rituals followed by Iranian Shiites in mourning the killing of Imam Hussein and his family.

Question Eleven - #11 What is the difference between High Synergy & Low Synergy? High Synergy Society Emphasis on cooperation for mutual advantage Conspicuous for a nonaggressive social order Low Synergy Society Uncooperative, very competitive culture, enhances rugged individualistic and dogeat-dog attitudes Aggressive and antagonistic behavior toward one another, leading to either psychological or physical violence toward the other Society adheres to win-lose approach Social arrangements self-centered; collaboration is not reinforced as desired behavior. Leadership encourages private or individual gain and advantage, especially by the power elite; poverty is tolerated, even ignored. Society permits exploitation of poor and minorities and tolerates the siphoning of its wealth by privileged few; develops power elites and leaves underdeveloped and powerless. Closed system with insecure people who tend towards suspiciousness, ruthlessness, and clannishness; idealizes the strong man concerned with greed and acquisition Belief system is frightening, punishing

Society idealizes win-win Social institutions promote individual and group development Leadership fosters sharing wealth and advantage for the common good. Cooperatives are encouraged, and poverty is fought Society seeks to use community resources and talents for the commonwealth and encourages development of human potential of all citizenry Open system of secure people who tend to be benevolent, helpful, friendly and generous; its heroes are altruistic and philanthropic Belief system, religion, or

philosophy is comforting and life is consoling; emphasis on the god of love; power is to be used for benefit of whole community; individuals; groups are helped to work out hurt and humiliations Generally, the citizenry is psychologically healthy, and mutual reciprocity is evident in relationships; open to change; low rate of crime and mental illness

terrifying; members are psychologically beaten or humiliated by the strong; power is for personal profit; emphasis is on the god of vengeance; hatreds go deep and blood feuds abound; violence is the means for compensation for hurt and humiliation. Generally, the citizenry tends to be defensive, jealous; mass paranoia and hostility; fears change and advocates status quo; high rate of crime and mental illness.

Q12: What is the difference between Monochronic and Polychronic? Monochronic cultures like to do just one thing at a time. They value a certain orderliness and sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything. They do not value interruptions. They like to concentrate on the job at hand and take time commitments very seriously. Polychronic cultures like to do multiple things at the same time. A manager's office in a polychronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going on at the same time. Though they can be easily distracted they also tend to manage interruptions well with a willingness to change plans often and easily. People are their main concern (particularly those closely related to them or their function) and they have a tendency to build lifetime relationships. Issues such as promptness are firmly based on the relationship rather than the task and objectives are more like desirable outcomes than must do's. Eg. Moqtada Khan the speech writer of Obama visiting Al Tayeb in his office. Q13 What are the differences between particularism and universalism? Universalism: ideas and practices can be applied everywhere. High universalism countries: formal rules, close adhere to business contracts (e.g., Canada, U.S., Netherlands, Hong Kong). Example Coka Cola ads everywhere in the world Particularism: circumstances dictate how ideas and practices apply; high particularism countries often modify contracts (e.g., China, South Korea). Eg. Pharmaceutical made an ad on Arava medicine and were forced to change it as Avaro to avoid cemetery.

Question Fourteen - #14 What is the difference between Ethnocentric/Egocentric and Ethno-relative Stages?

Ethnocentric stages: Ethnocentrism assumes that "the worldview of one's own culture is central to all reality" DENIAL of cultural difference: 1. Isolation: I live isolated in my homogeneous group, and I am uninterested in experiencing difference. 2. Separation: I intentionally separate myself from cultural difference to protect my own worldview. DEFENSE against cultural difference: The world is organized into "us and them." My own culture is obviously the best, 1. Denigration: I denigrate other cultures. 2. Superiority: My culture is superior to other cultures 3. Reversal: My adopted culture is superior to my own original cultural. I went native. MINIMIZATION of cultural difference: 1. Physical Universalism: We humans have all the same physical characteristics: We must eat, procreate, and die. These common biological features dictate behavior that is basically recognizable across cultures. 2. Transcendent Universalism: Whether we know it or not, deep down all humans share basically the same universal values. I assume that elements of my own cultural worldview are experienced as universal. Danger: cultural differences are often trivialized or romanticized. Ethno relative stages: Ethno relativism supposes that "cultures can only be understood relative to one another, and that particular behavior can only be understood within a cultural context" ACCEPTANCE of cultural difference: I recognize and accept the fact that my own culture is just one of a number of equally complex worldviews. Therefore, I accept 1. Respect for Behavioral Difference: all behavior

2. Respect for Value Difference: that all values and beliefs exist in a cultural context. I am curious and respectful toward cultural difference. ADAPTATION to cultural difference: 1. Empathy: I have developed enough intercultural communication skills to be able to adapt to difference and consciously shift, through empathy, into another perspective, into another cultural frame of reference. I can also act in culturally appropriate ways in the other culture. 2. Pluralism: I understand that difference must always be understood within the context of the relevant culture. I have internalized more than one worldview. INTEGRATION of cultural difference: 1. Contextual Evaluation: I am able to manipulate multiple cultural frames of reference in my evaluation of a situation. I am conscious of myself as a chooser of alternatives. 2. Constructive Marginality: My identity is not primarily based on any one culture. I am a constant creator of my own reality.

Question 15 : What is the difference between Convergent and Divergent thinking? Convergent thinking is evaluating the possible solutions to come up with the best answer to the question at hand. The convergent example may be driven by another issue perhaps my current car has a problem and I only have a weekend to solve the problem. Divergent thinking is a process involving the production of multiple answers based on what is already known. The divergent example may take more time to investigate but you may discover an option that is completely different than what the use has asked you to do like start your own company from home.

Conclusion Convergent thinking leads to knowledge of a topic. Knowledge allows for divergent thinking on that topic to generate multiple answers. Convergent thinking enables one to choose the best solution from the multiple answers. Q 16: Define Power Distance and give examples

Power distance is the disparity between levels of power between members of organizations and institutions (like the family).
Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Power can be distributed unequally among countries and also between individuals in a hierarchy.

***Power Distance Index of Hofstede defines does not reflect an objective difference in power distribution, but rather the way people perceive power differences. Current situation in Egypt with the disparity between the rich and the poor, those who have it all and those who have naught.

List of benchmarks High synergy/low synergy; Collectivism x individualism

Universalism x particularism; Neutral x Affective Monochromic x polychronic; Cultural assumptions Zero-sum game; Variable sum game; win-win game Leader game; System game; Alliance game Adversary game; Utility vs. strategic game Comfort zone game; Glass ceiling; Listeningship, Body language; Cultural Stereotyping; Framing; Perception; overgeneralization; Prejudice overgeneralization Cultural sensitivity: if you want to irk an Algerian be arrogant. Saying final solution is not possible in Germany. Low/high power distance Piagets theory: 1. 2. 3. 4.
The sensory-motor stage The Preoperational stage Concrete operational Formal operational stage